Templars

Edge: Arcane Background (Templar)

Requirements: Wild Card, Novice, Faith d6+, Fighting d6+, Spirit d8+

Arcane Skill: Faith (Spirit)

Power Points: 10

Starting Powers: 1 + healing

Backlash: When a Templar rolls a 1 on his Faith die, he suffers a level of Fatigue. Fatigue lost in this way may be recovered with four hours of rest per level.

Available Powers: Armor, beast friend, boost/lower trait, darksight, deflection, disguise, environmental protection, farsight, greater healing, healing, quickness, smite, speed, succor, warrior’s gift.

Special Rules:

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• Gear: Templars begin play with a white tabard proclaiming their station, and a sword chosen from the equipment list as usual. This blade now has the Improved Trademark Weapon Edge for free. He cannot take the Edge again for this weapon, but could take it normally for others. When wielded by its owner, the blade can hurt creatures typically immune to normal weapons (except servitors).

• Templar Powers:

Simon Mercer’s knights may only use their powers on themselves, with the exception of healing

and greater healing.

History

Simon Mercer was an accountant in Boise, Idaho living the American dream. He had a successful career, a nice family, and was active in his local community as a member of the Freemasons and a Boy Scout Troop Leader. He was on a business trip on Judgment Day in eastern Washington when everything he lived for vanished in a skull-shaped mushroom cloud. Simon returned to Boise and confirmed what he already knew: his family was dead. From there he traveled the West for over a year, wandering from place to place, working for food while wrestling with severe depression.

One day, Simon was passing through a nameless ‘ville somewhere in Colorado when General Throckmorton’s thugs showed up and demanded their tithes. The town paid up and Simon watched as the people went hungry. Then a tough female Law Dog named Jenny Hise showed up, and the town begged her for help. She agreed and set off after the Black Hats. A few days later, she came riding in from the wastes on a motorcycle. She screamed for the townsfolk to open the gates and help fight Throckmorton’s goons, but to Simon’s horror, they refused, saying that if they let her in, the Black Hats would destroy them all. The Ranger cursed and screamed but stood her ground anyway, trying to protect the ungrateful town. She never had a chance. Simon thought it appropriate when the Combine troops overran the town after they were done with the stubborn Law Dog.

Simon managed to escape the carnage and returned again to Boise. During the trip, his depression slowly turned to anger. Hise had been a heroine, but she had thrown her life away for those who wouldn’t even fight beside her to protect their own homes. When Simon reached Boise, he crossed into the maelstrom, wandered through the ruins, and went to his old Freemason’s Temple. A deep fever took hold as he lay in the dark, stone building. Days went by as he stared at the pictures of the old Knights Templar that had given birth to the Masons. His delirious mind dreamed of the knights of old and watched the pictures of their battles come to life.

When Simon finally awoke, he knew what he must do. He would become the first of the new Templars, a heroic figure who would protect the weak. He would draft others worthy of the title to join him, and they would bring order and compassion to this dark world. But these new Templars would not make the same mistakes as the noble but foolish Law Dogs. The Templars

would not throw their lives away on lost causes. Nor would they die for those who did not deserve their efforts. Thus he would cull the guilty and preserve the righteous.

Simon took an ancient, ceremonial sword from its display case and made a tabard from an old sheet. Upon the tabard he painted the red Maltese cross—symbol of the Knights Templar.

The Last Crusaders

Simon cut quite a figure in his new uniform, and recruited a score of followers in the first year. A few were simply after the power he promised, but they were quickly rooted out by the crusader and his loyal inner circle. Gradually, the supernatural energies of the Wasted West embraced the new Templars and they began to develop powers. Some developed preternatural speed, others could withstand incredible trauma and carry on fighting. All learned to heal with a touch. Some Templars believe their benefactors are the spirits of the original Knights Templar, others say it is God himself. A few believe their holy rewards are granted by the spirits of all the heroes who have fought evil and wickedness in the past. It didn’t seem to matter much where the power came from, because Simon and his followers quickly set out across the Wasted West to tussle with evil. They scored many incredible victories and soon attracted even more would-be warriors.

Trouble in Boise

Simon quickly realized that the fledgling order would need a central headquarters for communication and support. He returned to the Freemason Temple inside the Boise maelstrom, decorated the plain building with a single, large white flag marked with the red cross of Malta, and declared himself Grand Master of the Templars. A trio of other Templars formed his

permanent council.

Then two events struck at the order that threatened its very existence.

A splinter group broke off under a charismatic Templar named Brad Modeen. Calling themselves the Anti-Templars, these dark knights felt the Wastes were to be ruled and quickly began to resemble the raiders and despots they had fought. Simon declared them exiles and Templars throughout the West were ordered to attack them on sight. Despite the eventual death of Modeen, a new leader of the Anti-Templars has arisen. The Brain, as he is known, has allied these black-tabarded scum with the Combine.

Becoming a Templar

Would-be Templars must spend a year of their life in the service of another Templar. These “squires” serve until they die, leave the side of their mentor, or are brought before the Grand Master to become Templars themselves. Squires wear no special uniform, nor are they issued any gear. Many carry swords they’ve scrounged up themselves for they must learn the art of swordplay before they are vested in the Templar order. Each Templar may only have one squire at a time.

Once the year is up, provided a Templar believes his squire is ready, the squire is presented to the Grand Master in Boise. After an extensive interview and testing phase, she decides if the squire is worthy of the Templar tabard. If the Grand Master is satisfied, the new Templar is issued his sword and tabard; if not, the squire may return to serve his master for another year, or go his own way.

After initiation, Templars are expected to visit the temple once per year or so. There, they meet with the Grand Master and inform her of their deeds and the state of the world. Those civilian petitioners who brave the maelstrom to reach the Temple are heard daily, and if they seem worthy, the Grand Master may assign a single visiting Templar to accompany them to their home. Once he arrives, the visiting Templar may deal with the situation as he wishes, or—if the petitioner or his people prove unworthy—not at all. Templars consider hand-to-hand combat a sign of bravery, but they don’t hurl themselves into a fray when a gun serves them better. They generally use their swords to save precious bullets, when they want their foe to taste the fear of retribution before they perish, or when they face overwhelming odds and want to go down swinging.

Templars don’t like to lose their swords. If one is ever taken, they vow to get it back. They also revere their brothers’ and sisters’ swords. When one falls, other Templars eventually come to claim his sword. These are then taken to the Temple in Boise and hung in a place of honor.

The Test of Worth

Templars are a strange lot. A Templar might turn his back on an entire village one day, and give his life for a single child the next. Their philosophy is centered on worth, piety, and the greater good. They protect those who they feel benefit the world with their lives. Those who do nothing to help civilization, who might even harm it, are not to be defended. Templars don’t help the wicked, and they have no compunctions about “blackmailing” a settlement or individual into changing their ethics in return for the knight’s aid. Some call them selfish, and there is a certain truth to that belief. Templars believe their own lives are valuable to the future of humanity, and they don’t risk them without good reason.

A Templar’s primary tool in deciding whether or not a person, family, or village is worthy of their efforts is to visit them disguised as a mutant, an outcast, a diseased soul, or some other pitiful wretch. If those in need treat him poorly, he usually leaves before they even know they were on the brink of salvation. If, instead, they are sympathetic and compassionate to the disguised Templar, he may choose to reveal himself and pledge his sword to their cause.

The Pledge

Templars are sworn to protect the worthy souls of the Wasted West from evil, whether human evil or the more supernatural variety. This is not, however, the only tenet of the Templar creed. Templars and their squires also observe the

Oaths of Poverty and Blood.

The Oath of Poverty requires a Templar to gather only those goods and provisions necessary to carry out his duties and survive (including vehicles). The Oath of Blood has been the subject of some debate over the years. Once the Grand Master grants a Templar his tabard and sword, he gains all the powers of the order immediately. It also seems it is impossible to rescind this blessing. Once granted, it seems, their rewards are permanent. For those who seriously abuse their power, through theft, murder, or cowardice, the Grand Master’s only recourse to protect the honor and integrity of his order is to send other Templars out to hunt down the errant knights and kill them.

Keeping the Faith

Though Christianity was integral to the original Knights Templar (and the Freemasons as well) the Templars do not consider it a requirement in an individual Templar, nor is it the official creed of the organization. While both Simon and his successor, Jo Wales, were Christian themselves, they knew that in this day and age there are many faiths. Most denominations believe God has forsaken the world anyway. What the Templars do require is faith, the belief that some “good” presence still watches over the world. There are many theories among the ranks, but the most common is that Templars are empowered by the spirits of fallen heroes of the past, called the Saints.

Templar Edges

Templars believe the spirits of former exemplary heroes watch over them and grant them power. It may or may not be true, but certainly the powers of good reward these individuals as they battle the horrors of the Reckoning.

Blessing of the Saints

Requirements: Seasoned, Arcane Background (Templar)

When the Templar spends a Benny to reroll a trait roll, he uses a d10 for his Wild Die. If he has the Master Edge, he uses a d12.

Chosen of the Saints

Requirements: Heroic, Arcane Background (Templar), Blessing of the Saints

When the Templar spends a Benny to reroll, he adds +1d6 to the result. This die can ace.

Shield of the Saints

Requirements: Seasoned, Arcane Background (Templar), Spirit d8+, Faith d8+

Supernaturally evil opponents gain no Gang Up bonus on this Templar.

Simon’s Blessing

Requirements: Seasoned, Arcane Background (Templar)

Though Simon Mercer has passed on, some say he still watches over his flock from whatever spirit world the rest of the

saints reside in. With this Edge, a Templar can cast one spell on himself each round as a free action.

Sword of the Saints

Requirements: Seasoned, Arcane Background (Templar), Faith d8+, Fighting d8+

A Templar with this Edge does +2 damage with any Fighting attack against supernaturally evil creatures. Additionally, a raise on the Fighting roll against such a foe adds +1d10 damage instead of +1d6.

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